The Al-Jamia Suffa-Tul-Islam mosque in Bradford. David Anderson said Prevent was being applied in an insensitive or discriminatory manner.
Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The UK’s terror watchdog has called for an independent review of the government’s flagship anti-radicalisation strategy, Prevent, over concerns that it is sowing mistrust and fear in the Muslim community.

The programme, particularly its duty on schools to spot and report signs of radicalisation in pupils, has become a “significant source of grievance” among British Muslims, encouraging “mistrust to spread and to fester”, said David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism laws.

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In his written submission to the home affairs select committee inquiry into the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, he also raised concern that elements of Prevent were “ineffective or being applied in an insensitive or discriminatory manner”.

“It seems to me that Prevent could benefit from independent review,” wrote Anderson, who has no authority to conduct such a review.

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He continued: “It is perverse that Prevent has become a more significant source of grievance in affected communities than the police and ministerial powers that are exercised ... The lack of transparency in the operation of Prevent encourages rumour and mistrust to spread and to fester.”

The watchdog’s concerns were echoed by expert witnesses who gave evidence to the select committee inquiry at the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Raheel Mohammed, the director of Maslaha, a social enterprise that works to improve conditions in Muslim communities, called for a review of Prevent in schools, warning of its stigmatising impact.

The programme was stifling schools from openly discussing and safely addressing issues around extremism, creating an atmosphere of fear, and failing to equip teachers with the skills and training to act on signs of radicalisation in pupils, he told the group of MPs.

“Prevent is seen by many educators … [and] by many in the [Muslim] community as being a blunt instrument,” said Mohammed. “What it’s doing is stigmatising whole communities.

“I don’t think what’s happening in schools right now would help a teacher … to spot signs of extremism.”

The other witness, Saleha Jaffer, from the Families Against Stress and Trauma (FAST) programme, which works with schools and the families of radicalised British Muslims, said Prevent did not give teachers sufficient training and its approach could be superficial and counterproductive.

Prevent, part of the government’s overall counter-terrorism strategy, Contest, is meant to help police and security agencies identify individuals and groups at risk of radicalisation from all groups, such as Islamist extremists or the far right.

While David Cameron urges Muslim people to do more to fight extremism, volunteers such as Jahan Mahmood are working tirelessly to steer young people away from a destructive path – and doing it much more effectively than the government’s own highly distrusted counter-terrorism scheme